Newtown Families Launch Nonprofit Aimed at Gun Violence

Families in Newtown, Conn., including several that lost children in last month's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, have formed a nonprofit organization to advocate for policies to deter similar tragedies, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

The Sandy Hook Promise will seek a national dialogue on issues of mental health, school safety, and "gun responsibility." The new group will encompass both a lobbying arm and a foundation to raise money for victims' families, survivors, and emergency workers.

Tom Bittman, the group's co-founder, said many of its members are gun owners who hunt, target shoot, and "protect our homes." "We’re not afraid of a national conversation in our community and in Congress about responsibility and accountability," he said.